Sandcastles and Fireworks
by Bensidylove17
Summary: Fluffy 4th of July fic. Olivia and Brian spend their first of many holidays together with Noah. It's not the day Olivia was expecting but somehow it turns out even better than she imagined. BENSIDY.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This started out as a one-shot inspired by me imagining Brian and Olivia celebrating Memorial Day together with Noah. Since Memorial Day has passed I changed it to the Fourth of July, but I couldn't wait until then to post it. So Happy Early 4th :) And somehow it ended up being over 11000 words, so I had to break it**** into 4 chapters. Since I made Sindy, Erica, and Fiona wait so long I'm putting the first 2 chapters up together. Be sure to review and let me know what you think. I hope it gives you feels...I got plenty of feels writing it. One final FYI: Flashbacks are in italics. Enjoy :)**

Olivia stretched out her tanned legs, burying her toes deep in the cool, wet sand, as she reclined in the one empty spot on the beach blanket. Clasping her hands behind her head, she closed her eyes and soaked up the warmth emanating from the mid-afternoon July sun. Lying perfectly still, trying to shut off her always busy mind, she took in all the sounds of the beach—the waves crashing against the shore, the angry squawks of a flock of seagulls circling nearby, and the voices of the dozens of other New Yorkers looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. There were fathers playing Frisbee with their kids, mothers yelling at squirming children to stand still while they put sunscreen on them, teenagers listening to music and sharing the latest celebrity gossip, and children laughing as the cool water lapped against their hot skin. Through all that ambient noise Olivia was still able to pick out the one sound she was listening for—Noah's infectious giggle. A giggle that still brought a smile to Olivia's face every time she heard it.

And then a deep, raspy voice that provided Olivia with a completely different kind of happiness cut through the cacophony of sounds. "You like that buddy?"

Five feet away from where Olivia lay relaxing in the sand, Brian and Noah were currently "making" a sand castle. She used the term loosely because the activity actually consisted of Brian filling the castle mold with sand and dumping it over, where it would sit for a couple seconds before Noah kicked it over with his tiny feet, squealing with delight each time. Brian, for his part, was being a very good sport about it and continued performing the monotonous task, just as entertained by Noah's antics as the small boy was with the game, only stopping occasionally to remind Noah not to put the sand in his mouth.

Olivia wasn't even exactly sure what she was doing there. Today was her only day off this week and she had so much work to do in the apartment. There was an ever-growing pile of dishes, a mountain of dirty laundry, and Noah's toys and other paraphernalia were strewn from one end of their small home to the other. But somehow when Brian had suggested a day trip to Long Beach Island to celebrate the holiday, spouting some nonsense about sand castles and fireworks, she had found herself agreeing. It was after all Noah's first Fourth of July and she wanted to make it special for him. And although she hated to admit it the nine month-old was currently in a phase where when he got really cranky, he preferred Brian over his own mother.

So after Noah had taken his morning nap and the hottest part of the day was behind them, they ate lunch, packed up Brian's car with enough stuff for a weeklong trip, and made the drive down to the beach. They had splashed around at the edge of the water for over an hour, relishing in Noah's excited reaction every time the tide came in and tickled his toes. When he finally tired of the water they had headed back to the beach blanket where Brian and Noah had set to work on their sand castle. Olivia, knowing that Noah was in good hands, had taken advantage of the down time to rest her eyes for a few moments.

To any innocent bystander they were the ideal family—the doting parents with the energetic baby boy, picture perfect enough to appear in any cell phone or car commercial on television. The problem was they weren't a family. Not all three of them anyway. It was just Olivia and Noah. And Brian was…. Olivia wasn't sure what she would call him. Her friend, perhaps? But he was so much more than a friend. Over the past fifteen years Brian had played so many roles in her life it was hard to count them all. From co-worker to one-night stand to hot sex with no expectations to boyfriend to live-in boyfriend to essentially the equivalent of a roommate to ex-boyfriend. And now finally this undefined role that he currently occupied in her life.

When Brian had moved out after their breakup they had left it up in the air whether they would ever see each other again. Neither one wanted to cut the other out entirely since their breakup was atypical and they still loved each other. But that made any type of contact even harder. There would always be those unresolved feelings hovering just below the surface; those inklings to throw caution to the wind and let desire take over. So because of that, one hurried phone call after her second assault by Lewis had been their only communication until one fateful day in the grocery store a week after Olivia agreed to foster Noah.

"_What do you think Noah? Bananas or peaches?" Olivia murmured to her son, holding two jars of baby food out in front of him, waiting to see which one he would grab at._

_Noah gave her a grin, showing off his two small teeth, before swatting his hand at the jar of bananas._

"_Good choice buddy," Olivia said with a laugh._

_As she reached past Noah to put the jar in the cart she heard a familiar man's voice behind her. "Olivia?"_

_Olivia would know that voice anywhere. It was the voice that whispered words of affection to her as they lay wrapped in each other's arms after a night of mind blowing sex and the voice that calmed her fears almost every night for a year after Lewis kidnapped her. Feeling her heart start to speed up in her chest, at the thought of being so close to him again, she slowly turned and came face to face with her former lover._

"_Brian. Hey." Olivia smiled at him. Not the smile she used to give him when they first got together—the one that lit up her entire face. But it wasn't the tired fearful post-Lewis forced smile either. It was more a bittersweet, "unsure how to proceed" smile._

_Brian, striving to put an end to the awkwardness, addressed the obvious issue. "Good to see you Liv. Who's this little guy?"_

_He tickled the bottom of Noah's foot while he waited for Olivia to respond, earning him a happy squeal followed by a string of incoherent baby noises from Noah._

_Olivia paused for a moment, watching the interaction between her two favorite people in the world, unsure how to reply. Noah, through no fault of his own, was part of the reason she and Brian were no longer together. When she finally found her words, she looked anywhere but directly into Brian's hazel eyes._

"_This is Noah. You may remember him as Baby Boy Doe." Olivia hedged a glance at Brian and took notice of the quizzical look he was giving her, urging her to continue._

_Olivia sighed and nervously tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, before adding, "I'm Noah's foster mom. For the next year. At which time I'll have the option to permanently adopt him if I want." A small genuine smile crept across Olivia's lips, just like it did any time she talked about her son._

"_Wow, Liv. That's..." He hesitated, rubbing his chin and taking a moment to think through his thoughts. When he spoke again, he was smiling as well. "That's great. I know this is something you've always wanted. And I'm really happy for you."_

_Then he did something that caught Olivia completely off guard. He leaned in and hugged her. Not a long drawn out hug that could be misconstrued as something more. Just a run of the mill hug shared between friends._

_When Brian stepped back he turned his attention back to baby Noah who had been sitting peacefully in his car seat throughout the entire interaction. "You're a pretty lucky little guy, you know that?" He spoke in an octave above his normal register. "Your mommy is the most amazing woman I've ever met and I know she's going to take really good care of you."_

_Noah watched Brian intently with his big brown eyes, totally in awe of the scruffy faced man that was talking to him. He reached out his tiny hand in an attempt to grab onto Brian and shrieked with delight when Brian gave him his finger to hold onto._

"_You've got a good grip champ," Brian said with a chuckle. "And you're pretty cute too. Definitely gonna be a lady's man. I can tell already."_

_Meanwhile Olivia just stood by and observed the sight unfolding before her. Try as she might she could not reconcile the man who broke-up with her over their differing views on children with the man standing in front of her now, fawning over her child. Had they made a mistake, ending their two year relationship so quickly, without even having a proper discussion about their visions for the future?_

_No, Olivia thought, shaking her head slightly. She could not allow herself to travel down the road of "what might have been". She had Noah to worry about now. He was her top priority—no, her one and only priority—now. She could not bring a man into his life right now, not when it was just beginning to stabilize. A man that although temporarily enamored with the baby might tire of him in a few weeks and be just another in a long line of people that had already walked out of Noah's short life._

_Olivia cleared her throat before interrupting the exchange between her ex and her child. "Well I think Noah and I had better be going. It's almost time for him to eat and I still have a few more things I need to pick up here before we can head home. It was nice seeing you Brian."_

_She wasn't sure if she meant it or not but it seemed like the polite thing to say. Sure she had loved seeing Brian and Noah interact; giving her a moment to imagine what it would look like if they were a real family. But the truth was they were no more a family than a bunch of actors on a sitcom cast to play a part. _

"_Wave good-bye Noah," Olivia instructed the little boy._

_Noah still had a tight grip on Brian's finger and held on firmly as Brian tried carefully to extract it. When he finally slid his finger free Noah opened and shut his fingers repeatedly, reaching in vain for his missing plaything. After several failed attempts, Noah scrunched up his face and burst into tears._

"_Sorry about that Liv," Brian said apologetically. "Guess he doesn't want to see his new friend go."_

_Olivia heaved an exasperated sigh, not looking forward to the disgruntled looks she was going to get from the other patrons when Noah wouldn't stop crying over his lost friend. "Now I really need to go."_

_She started to push the cart down the aisle when Brian called after her. She almost didn't hear him over Noah's loud wails. "Liv would it be okay if I called you some time?"_

_He paused for a moment, praying that she wouldn't turn around and berate him in the middle of aisle seven. She had every right to turn him down, every right to be furious with him after his abrupt change in attitude. But she didn't yell. She didn't even turn around. She had at least stopped walking though; the stiff way she stood indicating she was waiting for him to continue._

_So he did. "I don't expect you to want to rush back into a relationship with me. I'd just like a chance to hang out with Noah, get to know him. If that's okay with you."_

_Olivia finally turned around, a tortured expression masking her beautiful features. How was she supposed to answer him? She wanted nothing more than for Brian and Noah to bond. But what if they spent time together and Brian realized he'd been right in the first place—he wasn't cut out to be a father. If it hurt Noah to watch Brian walk away after five minutes of interaction how painful would it be for the little boy to lose this father figure after days or even weeks of bonding._

"_I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Olivia said, a trace of sadness evident in her voice. She didn't miss the way Brian's face fell when she uttered those words. He really seemed to want this and she almost felt bad for rejecting his offer. But she had to think of Noah, she reminded herself._

_Brian was a proud man and he wouldn't beg but he decided to give it one more try; use a different tactic. "Come on Liv. I'm sure it's not easy balancing your work at SVU with being a new mom. Let me give you a hand. Watch Noah for you if your regular childcare isn't available or if you just need a baby-free girl's night out. No pressure, no expectations. Just me helping you out…as a friend."_

_He looked deep into her eyes as he said the word "friend" and was oddly relieved to see that it seemed to have affected her the same way it did him—as though a knife was being plunged deep into his heart. Not daring to take a breath, he shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for her answer._

_After what felt like an eternity to both of them, especially with Noah's ongoing sobs continuing to provide a bittersweet soundtrack, Olivia finally replied. She hoped she didn't regret her rash, spur of the moment decision. "I guess that would be okay. It has been tough for me trying to figure out what I'm going to do with him if I get called in overnight. I mean, it's not like I have any family. So if you're sure you're up for phone calls at all hours of the night, we can give it a try."_

_Brian released the breath he had been holding and smiled at Olivia. "Thank you Liv. You won't regret this."_

"_Don't make me." Olivia gave him a warning glare. She wanted to trust him, she really did. But a piece of her heart still couldn't let go of the nagging fear that he was just going to walk away from her again, and Noah as well this time._

_Brian turned his attention back to the fussy little boy. "You hear that Noah? We're gonna get to spend more time together. We'll be best buds." He stroked Noah's cheek as he spoke._

_Almost as if he understood what Brian was telling him, Noah's angry sobs slowly diminished to muffled whimpers. Olivia took that opportunity to pop a pacifier in his mouth which he happily accepted and immediately began contentedly sucking on._

_Brian placed a quick kiss on the top of Noah's head, surprising Olivia for what felt like the millionth time in only a matter of minutes, before standing back up and looking at Olivia._

"_I'm really glad I ran into you today Liv." He smiled at her but a glimmer of his prior hesitancy could be seen in his eyes again as though he was still unsure whether she would carry through on her end of the deal; whether he would ever see her and Noah again._

"_Me too. I'll give you a call soon." Olivia spoke sincerely, doing her best to allay his fears._

"_Can't wait." Brian embraced Olivia in a quick parting hug, a hug that was slightly less uncomfortable than their earlier embrace. Brian grudgingly released her and waved at Noah one last time, calling "Bye buddy" to the infant before he turned and walked the opposite direction down the aisle, a noticeable bounce in his step._

And that was how Brian Cassidy had seamlessly transitioned his way back into her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Once again, flashbacks are in italics. There's mostly drama in this chapter. I promise there will be fluffiness in parts 3 & 4 though. Hope you enjoy it :)**

At first Olivia had been a little apprehensive leaving Noah alone with Brian. What experience did he really have taking care of small children? But it didn't take long at all for Brian to prove himself to Olivia. He was the consummate professional and could anticipate Noah's needs almost as well as Olivia herself. Not to mention Noah lit up every time he saw Brian walk into their apartment. And Brian, true to his word, did drop everything and come whenever Olivia needed him, as long as he wasn't at work. The help he provided her was invaluable and she wondered how she would ever repay him for his generosity.

That wasn't to say there weren't still awkward moments.

One of the first times Brian came over to watch Noah it was because Olivia had gotten called into work at 11:00 at night. There had been a rape down near the piers and the girl was waiting at Mercy Hospital to give her account to a detective. When Olivia finally got back home it was almost 2:30 in the morning.

_Olivia entered her apartment, exhaustion coursing through her body. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was kiss Noah and climb into bed. She stifled a yawn as she closed the door behind her. The light was on in the living room but she heard no noise—neither the quiet chatter of infomercials or sports highlights coming from the television nor Brian's soft snores. Making her way down the hallway, she stopped short when the empty couch came into sight._

_All of a sudden irrational fear shook her from her half-asleep state. Where the hell was Brian? And what about Noah? Had something happened to both of them?_

_She raced down the hallway, hand poised over the gun on her hip, and threw open the bedroom door, expecting the worst. The sight in front of her was not one of tragedy though and slowly she relaxed, feeling her heart rate return to normal. There was no blood and Brian and Noah were both present and accounted for._

_Noah was sound asleep in his crib, snoring slightly due to the head cold he had caught last week at day care. In her bed sprawled out on the side that used to be his, Brian groggily opened his eyes and squinted at Olivia's silhouette standing in the doorway. He mumbled a few unintelligible words before rubbing his eyes and sitting up in the bed. Understanding the discomfort the situation was generating for Olivia, seeing her former lover lounging on the bed they used to share, he quickly stood from his spot on the bed, ran his hand through his hair in a futile attempt to fix his bed head, and walked over to join her in the doorway._

_He opened his mouth to speak but Olivia held up a finger to silence him, before gesturing toward Noah. Taking the hint, Brian herded her out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. Together they walked the short distance to the kitchen before Brian spoke._

"_Sorry Liv. He had a nightmare I think—really freaked him out—and he wouldn't go back to sleep unless I stayed in the room with him. I meant to come back out to the living room before you got home but I must have fallen asleep too. I'd forgotten how comfortable that bed is."_

"_It's okay Bri. It just scared me a little when I got home and you weren't in the living room. I thought something had happened to you and Noah."_

"_Sorry. I really am." Brian apologized again, mentally kicking himself for scaring her like that._

"_It's alright." Olivia hesitated before continuing. "Once I realized you were both okay, it just felt a little weird seeing you sleeping in our bed…I mean my bed…well, you know. It will always be our bed I guess."_

"_I get that. This whole apartment feels foreign to me now. I know I've only been gone a few months but it already seems like a lifetime ago that my toiletries cluttered the bathroom and my cow skull hung on that wall over there. Everything looks so different, but at the same time it's like nothing changed. Does that even make sense?"_

_Olivia just nodded her head in silent agreement. It made perfect sense. She felt exactly the same way but was at a loss for how to fix the situation. They had both agreed that splitting up was in everyone's best interest. But that was before. Maybe they had made that decision without all the facts. She ruminated on that for a moment before reason and practicality crept back into her thoughts. She needed this arrangement to work out for her sake as well as Noah's. Even if her heart was telling her to jump headfirst back into a relationship with Brian her head was telling her that at least for now they could be nothing more than friends._

_Brian watched the subtle changes in Olivia's body language. The way she leaned on the island drawing closer to him indicating that she was on the verge of giving into her desires. And the inner turmoil that clouded her eyes before she finally stood back up taking a small step backwards as she did, conveying that the moment had passed. _

_He wanted to stay, to explore their feelings further but he knew better than anyone not to push Olivia. If and when she was ready to talk about something, she would. Until then, bringing it up would only fuel an argument. And he had only just a few weeks ago, merely by chance, gotten back into her good graces; he was not going to jeopardize his newfound footing in her life by being overzealous. Besides that, he could see from the circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders hung that she was worn out and this conversation was the type that required their full attention._

_Olivia finally broke the silence, eager to change the subject. "So did he give you any problems?"_

"_Nope. Other than that one nightmare, he slept the whole time you were gone."_

"_Good. Well I've got work in the morning so I really should get to bed. Thanks again for your help. It means a lot," Olivia said with sincerity._

"_Like I told you in the grocery store, I'm happy to help any way I can," Brian replied with a smile. "I'll see myself out. Good night Liv."_

"_Good night Brian."_

_Brian was just about to the door when the words escaped Olivia's mouth. She hadn't meant to verbalize them but somehow they slipped out. "I know it's late. You're welcome to sleep on the couch if you want to."_

_Brian turned around and heaved a sigh before responding, framing his answer carefully so she would not perceive it as a rejection. "I don't think that's such a good idea Liv. The lines in our non-relationship are already blurry enough."_

"_Right, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Night Bri."_

"_Night Liv."_

_And with that he was gone._

The other occasion had been just a week ago. Olivia had finally tired of the constant nagging from Melinda, urging her to get back into the dating game. So to get Melinda off her back she had broken down and agreed to go on a blind date with a friend of hers. It had seemed like a bad idea at the time, mostly because she still wasn't sure how to classify her new arrangement with Brian. By the end of the night she was certain she could categorize it as one of the worst experiences of her life.

Brian was most definitely Olivia's last choice for someone to watch Noah while she went on a date with another man. But when her previously arranged babysitter, Rollins, had bailed on her at the last minute because of a case she and Fin caught, Olivia had had no other options. She rationalized as she picked up the phone to make the call that Brian must be dating again by now as well, even if the topic had never come up between them. Although she wasn't quite sure how he was balancing a personal life with their sudden intrusion into his world.

Olivia gave him a lot of credit though. He took it in stride. He didn't fight her or make snarky comments while she was getting ready or even give her a curfew. He just bravely smiled at her as she left, while inside his heart was breaking into a million pieces. In the back of his mind he had always known this day would come. A woman as beautiful and desirable as Olivia wouldn't stay single forever. He had just hoped that maybe he would get one final chance with her before some other suitor came in and swept her off her feet.

_Brian had just put Noah to sleep. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and flopped down on the couch. Picking up the remote he began channel surfing, looking for anything to take his mind off the guy that probably had his dirty hands all over Olivia right now, and most likely soon his dirty mouth as well. But it was no use. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Liv and thoughts of Noah. Losing Olivia again was already more than he could bear but the possibility that another man would be stepping into the "daddy" role in Noah's life was just too much. He had never expected to fall so in love with Noah but it had happened, much the same way he had fallen head over heels in love with the little boy's mother fifteen years before._

_But then he guessed this was what he deserved for not giving Olivia what she wanted when she wanted it. The timing was never right between the two of them, was it? He was pulled from his self-pity session by the sound of the front door opening._

_Brian glanced down at his watch. Only 8:45. That couldn't be Olivia already. But who else had a key to her apartment? He was about to get up to see who it was, scanning the room for anything he could use as a weapon, when Olivia appeared at the edge of the living room._

"_What are you doing home so soon?" Brian asked, trying his hardest to keep the trace of hopefulness out of his voice. The date couldn't have gone well if she was home already. _

"_It just wasn't meant to be," Olivia sighed as she removed her heels. She sank into the armchair, closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose as she silently reflected on her train wreck of an evening._

_Her date had instantly recognized her from her televised admission of police brutality. But instead of turning him off to her, the situation actually fascinated him, prompting him to ask her all sorts of personal questions about the Lewis ordeal. Probing for details she had never even revealed to her closest friends. That had been the first strike. His reaction to Noah was his second strike. It seemed he had no time in his life for children. He didn't care if she had any; he just couldn't be expected to play any sort of parental role in their lives. Olivia decided there was no need to let him get to strike three. By this point she had already downed three glasses of wine just to get through appetizers. If this date continued one more minute she'd probably be passed out under the table before the main course even arrived._

_Brian assessed Olivia's defeated form and found himself smiling. He felt slightly guilty for being pleased with this development. While he wanted Olivia for himself, he didn't want to see her hurt either._

"_Noah asleep?" Olivia murmured. She finally opened her eyes and looked at Brian._

"_Yep. He went down about fifteen minutes ago." Brian took a sip of his water and repositioned himself on the couch, waiting to see if she would divulge any details of her evening._

_When a few minutes had passed and no more words had been exchanged between the two, Brian was just about to gather up his stuff and head home, when Olivia's soft voice broke the stalemate._

"_I mean he was the type of guy that looked good on paper. He's a doctor. Wealthy, but a philanthropist. Plays the piano. Loves dogs."_

"_Sounds lovely," Brian cut in, his voice laced with bitterness. He instantly regretted letting his emotions get the best of him and motioned for her to continue._

"_But in person he was a completely different person and…he just wasn't…." Olivia trailed off._

"_He wasn't what Liv?" Brian asked, unsure whether he actually wanted to know the answer._

"_You."_

"_Huh? I, what?"_

"_He just wasn't you. That's what was wrong," Olivia whispered as a single tear slid down her cheek._

_Brian didn't waste a single second vacating his spot on the couch and kneeling next to Olivia, wrapping her in his arms, stroking her hair while she cried._

_When her tears had subsided, Brian looked up at Olivia's face which was mere centimeters from his own, so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. He tried to read her expression but she masked her feelings well. Just as he was about to stand up out of respect for their hazy boundaries, Olivia did something that caught Brian completely off guard. She leaned forward and planted an abrupt kiss on his lips. A kiss so quick that had he not seen it, felt it, he may have questioned whether it even happened._

_He would be lying if he said the kiss didn't affect him. It was exactly what he was hoping for since first bumping back into her almost two months ago. But he could smell the alcohol on her breath and knew that the wine was probably what prompted her forwardness. He once again tried to extricate himself from the situation but Olivia clung to his shirt and pleaded with her eyes for him to satisfy their burning desires._

_Brian searched her eyes one final time for any hint of an indication that this was not what she wanted before he lifted her out of the chair and gently laid her on the couch. Climbing on top of her he hesitated only a moment before capturing her mouth in his. Electricity surged through their bodies as they gave in to the passion. Their mouths still latched together they struggled to remove articles of clothing in a furtive rush. Olivia's dress joined Brian's shirt and belt in a messy pile on the floor and Brian was just about to discard his pants when a series of soft wails penetrated the silence, essentially ruining the mood._

_Olivia, snapped back to reality by her son, immediately pushed Brian off of her and began the desperate search for her wayward clothing. "Mommy's coming, Noah," she called._

_Brian sat next to her on the couch, still half naked, trying to slow his breathing down while he processed what had just happened. He stayed that way until Olivia returned ten minutes later having finally gotten Noah settled again._

_The moment had passed and in an effort to just put the entire embarrassing evening behind her Olivia told Brian, "I think I'm gonna go to bed early. Thanks so much for watching Noah on such short notice."_

_Olivia couldn't miss the hurt in Brian's eyes as he slowly gathered up his clothing and put it back on. She knew she had wounded him deeply, a fact that she regretted with all her heart. She hoped he could find it in himself to forgive her and not let this mistaken almost-rendezvous ruin the trust they had managed to reestablish over the course of the past two months._

_There was no denying the connection they still had; she had felt it too. And she had long ago dismissed her fears that Brian might walk out on Noah—some days she couldn't pry those two apart with a crowbar. But she had just endured the worst date of her life and was slightly tipsy to boot. If she was going to enter back into a relationship with Brian she had to know that she was one hundred percent sober when she made the decision and that she was doing it because it was what was best for all of them—Brian, Noah, and herself—and not solely because anything had to be better than the atrocity she had suffered through tonight._

_Now redressed, albeit slightly disheveled, Brian grabbed his phone off the coffee table, shoved it in his pocket, and gave Olivia a parting half-smile before replying to her previous comment. "It was my pleasure. Noah and I always have fun together. Let me know when you want me watch him again."_

"_Bri, don't be like that," she called to his retreating form._

_But he didn't say another word; just kept walking right out the door._

Fortunately the tension had not lasted long between the two. Olivia had needed Brian's services again two days later and he had willingly agreed. He seemed content to pretend the whole episode had never happened, reverting to their usual friendly banter with the occasional subliminal flirting. And Olivia was just as happy to never again bring up her inappropriate drunken, heart-broken behavior.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As promised, here is part 3, complete with fluff :)**

Olivia had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize Noah's giggles were getting closer. It wasn't until his chubby little hand lightly patted her cheek that she realized Brian and Noah had joined her on the beach blanket. She opened her eyes to see her baby boy staring back at her, grinning from ear to ear and Brian at the foot of the blanket poised to dump a bucket of water on her feet.

"Don't even think about it," Olivia scowled, trying hard not to laugh as she pulled her feet back onto the blanket.

"Your mommy is no fun," Brian said to the little boy. He made a show of dumping the water on the ground before dramatically flopping down on his stomach next to Olivia and Noah, earning him more giggles from Noah.

"Oh no?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think, Noah? Is mommy fun?" As she spoke she covertly picked up the water gun that lay at her side amongst Noah's other beach toys. Before Brian had even a moment to react she pointed the water gun at him and pulled the trigger emitting a spray of water that pelted him in the side. Noah squealed as a few errant drops of water peppered his bare legs.

"Aaahhh, I've been hit," Brian yelled, playing along with the game. "Call a bus, Noah! Call a bus!" Brian continued to writhe around on the blanket, clutching at his side and moaning, while Noah clapped his hands and laughed, clearly enjoying the show.

Brian finally "succumbed" to his injuries and stopped twitching, lying perfectly still on the blanket with his eyes closed. Noah, not liking the sight of Brian's lifeless body, stopped giggling and furrowed his tiny brow. He inched forward slightly and forcefully shoved Brian's shoulder. When he got no response, the little boy leaned over and tapped Brian's cheek. Olivia could see that Noah was on the verge of tears and was about to warn Brian to put an end to the game when Brian's eyes popped open.

"All better, buddy," he proclaimed.

In one swift movement Brian sat up on the blanket, scooping Noah up at he went, and began tickling Noah's belly. Relieved that his buddy was okay, Noah instantly reverted to his happy, giggly self. Olivia shifted onto her side and laughed at her boys. She felt her heart clench in her chest, just as she always did when she watched Noah and Brian interact. Brian couldn't have loved Noah more if he was his own son and judging from Noah's behavior whenever Brian was around, the love was mutual.

When the laughter had died down and Noah was relaxed in Brian's arms, face buried in his chest, Olivia asked, "So what happened to your sand castle?"

Brian cast a sideways glance at the trampled mountain of sand, a few feet from their beach blanket, the red, white, and blue flag poking out of it the only sign that a castle had ever occupied the space. "Your son had a slightly different vision of how it should look," he replied with a hearty laugh. "Didn't you, champ?"

Noah just gazed at his mother, his face a picture of innocence. It was then that Olivia noticed Noah's eyes were starting to droop.

"Looks like somebody's about ready for his afternoon nap. Guess we'd better get everything packed up and head for home," Olivia sighed, shifting into a sitting position and beginning to gather up the assortment of beach toys.

"Ooooorrrr," Brian began with a cheeky grin. "He could take his nap right here on the beach blanket and we could still have a little more fun before we leave. Get dinner, explore the shops, watch the fireworks."

If there was one thing Olivia couldn't resist it was Brian's puppy dog eyes and they were staring at her right now, doing their best to break down her resistance. God help her when Noah grew up and mastered that technique.

"Well I guess we could give it a try. Can't say I'm in a huge rush to get home to my dishes and laundry. And Noah doesn't always sleep very well in the car," Olivia consented.

She turned her attention to an unraveling thread on the beach blanket, deliberately picking at it before adding in a slightly softer voice, "I wasn't really ready for this day to end yet anyway."

"Me either Liv," Brian murmured, reaching out his hand and brushing it against her thigh. The incidental contact sent a shiver through Olivia's body, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Brian.

Noah, with his always perfect timing, began to wiggle out of Brian's arms, reaching for his mother, and effectively putting an end to the tender moment.

Olivia smiled at Brian, indicating that although the conversation had been tabled for now, they would resume it later. Then she directed her attention to her squirmy, sleepy son. "Come to Mommy, Noah."

Brian handed Noah back to Olivia and after changing his diaper, she cuddled him against her chest, rocking him gently in her arms. Even with all the distracting sights and sounds around him it took less than five minutes for Noah to nod off. When Olivia was sure he was sound asleep and that a change in position wouldn't wake him she laid him down on the blanket and looked around to see where Brian had disappeared to. She expected to see him down by the water but instead found him intently working on rebuilding the sand castle.

"You know he's just going to knock it over again when he wakes up?" Olivia said with a laugh.

"I know. I know," Brian chuckled. "But your little prince should have a castle, even if it is only made of sand."

Olivia felt her heart melting. It was obvious that no one, other than Olivia, loved Noah more than Brian did. For at least the fiftieth time since they reconnected Olivia found herself wondering whether Brian had been a victim of an "invasion of the body snatchers". This was clearly not the same man she had broken up with over their differing views on children. Except he was the same. The same caring, dependable, lovably awkward Brian he'd always been—only now he loved kids, or at least one kid in particular.

Surrounded by all the chaos on the beach, the timing was still not right for an intimate conversation though so instead she continued the idle chit chat. "Does the queen get to stay in the castle too?"

"I can make an adjoining suite for you if you're interested, but this castle is all Noah's." Brian teased her as he carefully sculpted another turret.

"Wow, I'm already getting shipped to the servants' quarters? I did not see that coming," she joked, pretending to be offended.

"Well there is a new boss in town," Brian stated matter-of-factly.

Olivia couldn't argue with him there. From the moment Noah entered her life he had dictated every decision she'd made. Without even trying he had managed to wrap both Olivia and Brian securely around his tiny little finger.

"You wanna help me?" Brian looked up at her hopefully, squinting against the glare from the late afternoon sun.

"Me?"

"No. Those people over there burying the kid in the sand. Yes, you," he replied with a smirk. "It'll go a lot faster if I have some help."

Olivia glanced over her shoulder to make sure Noah was still fast asleep before agreeing. "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Go down to the ocean and fill this bucket up with water. I'll keep an eye on Noah while you're gone."

As Olivia made her way cautiously around beach towels and remnants of other sand castles down to the water's edge, Brian took a temporary break from his sculpting to inconspicuously gaze at her, taking in her natural beauty, appreciating every single one of her curves—curves that he alone knew by heart. When she glanced back and saw him staring, he blushed slightly and innocently returned to the task at hand. Just in case he snuck another peek at her Olivia added a little extra saunter to her step, intentionally shaking her hips as she went, chuckling at the effect she still had on him.

An hour and a half later they were just putting the finishing touches on the most spectacular sand castle Olivia had ever seen when Noah started to stir. Quickly standing up and brushing the sand off her hands, Olivia headed back to the blanket so Noah wouldn't think he was all alone. When his chestnut brown eyes fluttered open his lip quivered for a moment as he took in his strange surroundings, but as soon as his gaze landed on Olivia the look of fear was replaced by a huge grin. He desperately reached his tiny arms out toward his mother, waiting to be picked up.

"Hey baby. Did you have a good nap?" Olivia lifted Noah up and rested him on her hip. Not fully awake yet, Noah buried his face in her shoulder.

Walking back across the sand to where Brian stood admiring their handiwork, Olivia whispered in Noah's ear, "Mommy and Brian have a surprise for you. Look what we finished while you were asleep."

When Noah made no attempt to pick his head up from Olivia's shoulder, Brian tried calling him. "Noah, look. Your castle's all finished."

Hearing Brian's voice was all it took. Noah instantly popped up, searching for where the sound had come from. When his eyes landed on Brian and the sandcastle he let out an excited shriek and immediately began wiggling around in Olivia's arms, frantic to get down.

Olivia was bending over to place Noah on the ground to explore the castle when Brian stopped her. "Wait. Can you take a picture of Noah and me with the sand castle before he destroys it? I'll take one of the two of you too if you'd like. I'd just kind of like a picture for my desk at work."

"Sure thing," Olivia replied, trying not to get overly sentimental about the moment. "But we'd better do it fast before he starts crying. He's pretty eager to get down and check it out."

Olivia handed Noah to Brian and ran back to the blanket to retrieve her camera from her bag. They managed to get several pictures before Noah's mild fussiness could dissolve into a full blown temper tantrum. When Brian and Olivia both agreed they had sufficient pictures for his desk, her desk, the wall of her apartment, and probably a photo album or two, Olivia set the little boy down to explore his kingdom.

As Noah crawled around the castle, clearly captivated by the huge mountain of sand, Brian warned him, "Now Noah if the East Wing seems a little unstable that's because that part was your Mommy's responsibility and she's not quite as experienced at castle construction as I am. I probably should have hired someone else but all the better workers were already taken." A devilish smile danced across Brian's lips.

Olivia gave Brian a playful shove, laughing at Noah's awestruck expression as well as Brian's teasing. "Hey, give me a break. This was my first sand castle."

"Well I guess we'll have to come back again next summer so you _and _Noah can get more practice…" Brian stopped short when he realized he had vocalized his assumption that he would still be an active part of their lives a year from now. He knew in his head that this was nothing more than a temporary arrangement, but his heart sometimes forgot. He waited for her certain rebuff.

But Olivia just smiled and said softly, "I'd like that." As if to emphasize the validity of her statement she took a step closer to Brian and laced her fingers through his. They stood that way, savoring the moment, until Noah, ever inquisitive, abandoned his castle and began to crawl in the direction of a brightly colored stray beach ball.

"Where do you think you're going mister?" Brian reluctantly released Olivia's hand and jogged over to Noah, stopping him before he could get too far. Noah, not deterred one bit by the sudden roadblock, tried to crawl around Brian, still on his quest to reach the elusive beach ball.

Before he could get any further though, Brian scooped him off the ground and swung him high in the air. Noah squealed with delight and continued giggling as Brian pulled the little boy in for a hug, planting several quick kisses on his cheek.

Olivia reached for her camera that still lay on top of her beach bag and snapped a few more candid shots of Brian and Noah. These pure unrehearsed moments between her boys were memories that she wanted documented forever. It crossed her mind that these pictures would either serve as physical evidence of the beginning of their journey as a family or they could very well be the only proof that Noah and Brian had ever had a father-son type relationship. Pushing the negative thoughts out of her mind, today was supposed to be a fun day after all, she bent over to put her camera away.

While she was at her bag she glanced at the time on her cell phone and seeing that it was already 6:00 she called to Brian, "Hey Bri. I think we'd better get packed up and go get some dinner. It's after six and Noah's got to be getting hungry."

"Okay, Liv. Just as soon as I can convince this little guy," Brian said with a laugh.

Olivia looked over to see that Noah's attention had once again been captured by the beach ball and he was stretching his arms out, yelling nonsense sounds, as if directing Brian to go pick it up. "Sorry buddy. That's not your ball," Brian regrettably informed Noah. "Besides it's time to go get dinner. Mom's orders."

Brian could see Noah's lower lip starting to tremble as they walked the opposite direction of the beach ball. "Don't worry. We'll come back to the beach again soon Noah. I promise. And next time we'll bring our own beach ball."

Noah obviously couldn't understand Brian's words or appreciate the sincerity behind them, but Olivia could. And in that moment it struck her that she actually believed Brian when he made that promise to her son. There was not a hint of doubt in her mind that he would carry through; that he would never dream of doing anything to let Noah down.

And that was when she knew with one hundred percent certainty: if Brian would have her and Noah, they would gladly be his until the end of time. Olivia made up her mind to tell him tonight. She would lay all her cards on the table and hopefully he would feel the same way. She had a pretty good idea that he would.

"What are you smiling about?" Brian asked, startling Olivia out of her thoughts.

"Oh, nothing," she replied, trying to wipe the huge grin off of her face but failing miserably.

While she had been lost in thought Brian had already brushed the sand off Noah, put Noah's shirt and sandals back on him, and positioned him in the stroller along with his stuffed monkey. The stuffed monkey, which had been a gift from Brian, was apparently an acceptable substitute for the unreachable beach ball.

With Noah temporarily preoccupied with his fuzzy toy, Brian and Olivia hurried to gather up his toys along with all their other belongings. Then Brian threw on a t-shirt while Olivia pulled a sundress on over top of her swimming suit. All that was left to do was fold up the beach blanket. Brian was attempting to tackle that project while Olivia struggled to shove the bag of toys in the rack under the stroller, when an older woman that had been sitting with her husband just a few blankets over from them all day stopped as she was passing by Brian.

She cleared her throat, attracting Brian's attention, before she spoke. "I'm sorry to interrupt. My husband's always telling me I should mind my own business. But I see you're leaving and I just had to stop and tell you, your son is the most adorable baby I've ever seen. He kept us entertained most of the day."

Brian hesitated, giving the woman a tight smile and continuing to fold the blanket, as he contemplated how to respond. This was a gray area for him. He could take no credit for Noah, as much as he would have liked to. He didn't bring him into this world and he didn't even help rescue him from his horrible existence in foster care. He fantasized about calling Noah his son. But that was all it was—a fantasy, nothing more.

Olivia, from her spot behind the stroller, sensed Brian's discomfort and quickly jumped in, doing her best to swiftly gloss over the woman's error. "We think he's pretty great. Thanks."

Fortunately the woman's husband seemed to be in a hurry to leave, so she didn't offer any further conversation. Just a parting, "Enjoy the rest of your day," before waving at Noah and walking off with her husband.

Once they had double checked that they weren't leaving anything behind, the pseudo-family headed up to the main stretch of shops to find a place to eat. They decided on a small pizza parlor where Brian and Olivia split a pepperoni pizza while Olivia did her best to juggle feeding Noah his pears and carrots as well. Not the most picnic-worthy food but then nothing about their day had been particularly traditional. When they had finished eating Olivia handed Noah his bottle. He was at the point that he could hold it by himself now, so there was no reason for them to sit and wait for him to drink it. They could walk through the small town, taking in the sights, while he worked on it and they waited for the fireworks to start.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is the final chapter of this fic. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you want I will continue writing another one-shot or multi-chap fic w/ Bensidy and Noah. It just may take me a little time to get it up as it's gonna be a busy 2 weeks and I have some other fics I need to update too (Christmas Blues for sure). Let me know what you think. Thanks :)**

Stepping out of the pizza shop, they noticed that the sun was just slipping below the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mixture of orange and pink. It would not be long before it was dark enough for fireworks. The temperature had dropped a few degrees while they were inside too, aided by the cool ocean breeze, prompting Olivia to put Noah's jacket on him and drape a light blanket over his bare legs.

The crowds from the beach seemed to have all migrated up to the boardwalk area and there was chaos unfolding in every direction. Noah took it all in with wide-eyed wonder. The street performer playing a soulful rendition of "God Bless America". The group of pre-teens participating in an ill-timed game of tag, weaving through the masses of people eating ice cream cones and corndogs. The street vendor selling glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces. The frat guys cheering on their friend as he tried to chug a Big Gulp, presumably full of beer, in less than a minute. Occasionally Noah would peer over his shoulder, ensuring that his mom and Brian were still behind him, before resuming his people watching.

As they walked, Brian's hand naturally travelled to the small of Olivia's back. The contact was so light at first she could barely feel it but when she didn't shy away from his touch, he gradually relaxed his hand, letting it rest comfortably against her.

An hour later they had made it back to their starting point and it was just about time for the fireworks display to begin. They had bought Noah a t-shirt to commemorate his first trip to the beach and a box of salt water taffy. Because as Brian pointed out, who goes to the beach and doesn't get salt water taffy?

Finding an empty spot on the retaining wall, they sat down to wait for the show to start. Olivia lifted Noah out of the stroller and sat him on her lap, smiling as he stuck his thumb in his mouth and snuggled against her chest, his monkey still clutched tightly in his other hand. He probably would have been able to see just fine from his stroller but Olivia was unsure how he would react to the loud noises and figured he'd feel safer in his mother's arms.

Brian wanted to wrap his arm around Olivia's waist but he resisted the temptation, not willing to press his luck. She hadn't pushed him away earlier when he initiated physical contact, but he wasn't sure how far her grace would extend. He instead settled for resting his hand on the wall, close enough to Olivia that it brushed up against her thigh.

A few seconds later the first colorful explosion lit up the night sky. Olivia and Brian both immediately glanced at Noah, wanting to gauge his reaction. Noah was not sure what to think of this new development. He was torn between being terrified of the loud noise and enamored by the bright colors dancing across the sky. His solution was to alternate between clapping his hands in excitement every time new flashes of light would appear and burying his face in his mother's chest in an attempt to block out the offending sounds. Brian and Olivia laughed at the little boy's antics, relieved that at least he hadn't burst into tears, yet.

The longer the fireworks went on, the more used to the sound Noah got. To the point that he had relaxed in Olivia's arms and was now just watching the light show through heavy eyelids.

Olivia snuck a glance at Brian halfway through the display and noticed that instead of watching the fireworks that he had insisted they stay for, his gaze was fixed on Noah. The expression on his face was hard to read. While he was smiling from ear to ear, his eyes held a look of sadness and regret—almost identical to the way they had looked the night she and Brian broke up. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

When the fireworks finally ended, they loaded a sleepy Noah back into his stroller and joined the masses swarming back to their cars. It was only a short walk but by the time they reached the car and Olivia was positioning Noah in his car seat he was just about asleep. As she reached into the car seat to fasten the buckle she heard him mumble "Buh-buh" in his sleep, bringing a smile to her face. Buh-buh was Noah's baby-talk version of "Buddy", which is what they had agreed he should call Brian since Da-da wasn't really appropriate and Brian didn't seem quite right either. Normally Olivia would pretend to be hurt that Noah had not said Ma-ma, but today it brought joy to her already full heart to hear Noah asking for Brian.

"Hey Bri," she called softly to Brian, who was loading the stroller and beach bag in the trunk. "Noah's calling for you."

Brian closed the trunk and walked around the car to the other side. Opening the door, he poked his head in and placed a quick kiss on the top of Noah's head. "I'm here buddy. I hope you had fun today. I know I did. Now let's get you and your mommy home before she falls asleep too and I have to carry you both up to your apartment." As he spoke he softly ran his finger up and down Noah's soft cheek.

Noah's eyes fluttered a few more times before finally staying closed and eventually his breathing evened out indicating he had fallen asleep. Brian gave Noah one more quick kiss before standing up, closing the back door, and hopping in the driver's seat. Olivia verified that the car seat buckle was secure before joining Brian in the front of the car.

Instead of starting the car right up, Brian shifted in his seat so he was facing Olivia and turned the interior dome light on. He gave Olivia a tentative smile before saying, "Thank you for agreeing to do this today."

"No problem. I'm glad you thought of it. I had a lot of fun and I know Noah did too."

She could tell Brian had more to say, so she waited. When a minute passed and silence still enveloped the car, she did her best to draw it out of him.

"Today was really important to you, wasn't it?" She carefully studied his face, trying to figure out what it was that had changed his demeanor. To her recollection, she had not done anything to reject his advances. Quite the contrary, she had openly welcomed them, finally accepting what Brian had probably already known for weeks—her, Brian, and Noah, they were a perfect fit.

"Yeah it was," Brian replied, fidgeting with the hem of his shorts while fighting off the emotions that were welling up inside him.

"Care to explain?" Olivia asked gently, stroking his forearm in a reassuring motion as she waited for his answer.

Brian took a deep breath and released it slowly before he spoke. "My best memory of my dad is from the Fourth of July when I was five. My sister had just been born a week before so she and my mom weren't really up for the usual family picnic. Plus I had been feeling a little neglected because of all the attention the new baby was getting. So my dad decided we were going to have a special 'Boy's Day'. We loaded up the car and drove to Long Beach Island, just the two of us. We spent all day constructing the most amazing sandcastle you've ever seen. Then when it got dark we went up to the shops and ate hot dogs and cotton candy and grape soda until I thought I was gonna puke. And then we walked back down to the beach and sat on a blanket and watched the fireworks together. It was the best day ever. I talked about it for weeks after the fact."

He paused for a second before continuing. What he had to say next was going to be hard and he hoped he could get through it without crying. He swallowed around the lump forming in his throat and looked down at his hands, unable to make eye contact with Olivia when he made this final admission. "I guess I wanted Noah to experience that same fun day. And I know he's too young to remember it the way I remember the day with my dad. But I was afraid if I waited until Noah was five…"

Brian stopped again, choking back a sob and wiping away a tear that had managed to escape. "I was afraid he'd have an actual dad by then that he'd rather spend his time with."

He rubbed away another couple tears before looking up to see tears streaming down Olivia's face. Gathering her in his arms as best he could with the gear shift in the way, he held onto her small frame, rubbing circles on her back until her crying, and his, had all but subsided.

When they finally broke apart, Olivia took a few moments to collect herself before looking deep into Brian's eyes and saying the most beautiful words he had ever heard. "You're the only father Noah's ever going to know, Bri."

Brian stared quizzically at Olivia, wanting to believe what he was hearing, but certain that he must be misinterpreting her meaning. "What are you saying, Liv?"

"I'm saying I want, no, I need you back in my life permanently. I never stopped loving you Bri. And I don't think you stopped loving me either. I just needed to be sure that your love for Noah was as real as your love for me. The irony is I think we've gotten to the point that you're more worried that Noah and I will walk out of your life than I am that you'll disappear from our lives. I'm sorry for any hurt I've caused you over these past two months with my back and forth behavior. Even as recently as this morning I was still sort of on the fence about everything, but when I heard you promise Noah you'd bring him back to the beach again I knew you were telling the truth—that you'd never break a promise you made to your little buddy. And that was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I couldn't risk losing you again. I love you Brian and you mean the world to Noah. So if you'll have us, we're yours for the taking."

Brian paused a moment, letting her words fully sink in. He felt a calmness wash over his body—a calmness that had probably been missing since Lewis kidnapped Olivia the first time, over a year ago. "Olivia I knew from that day in the grocery store that you and Noah were the only family I could ever imagine myself having a life with. You're right, I never stopped loving you either. And seeing you with Noah—the way you interacted with him, cared for him—made me love you even more, if that's even possible. I know I never told you this, but I used to want kids, back when I was a wide-eyed newbie. But then time passed, I got older, the job hardened me, and it never happened. So by the time we reconnected I had basically ruled out ever being a father, figuring that door in my life was closed forever. I had made my peace with it and was envisioning this carefree life with just you marked by spontaneous weekend trips and decreasing responsibilities, not one riddled with strict schedules and early bedtimes. But for Noah I'd willingly do it all because for some reason it doesn't feel like I'm giving anything up; it's like I'm gaining so much more instead. So there is no question that I want you and Noah to be mine forever."

They both were fighting off a fresh round of tears by the time Brian finished speaking. Opening the center console Brian pulled out a small pack of tissues and gave one to Olivia before wiping his own eyes.

"But are you absolutely certain that you want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life?" Brian added with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood, but also seeking one final affirmation that this was indeed what she wanted, and not something she had felt forced into by his imposition in her life.

"Well when you put it that way…" Olivia joked. Seeing the way his face fell at her words, she rushed to continue. "Brian, I'm kidding. This is one trillion percent what I want. _Nothing_ will ever change my mind." She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Brian, relieved by her answer, tenderly covered her hand with his own, and chuckled as he asked, "Should we ask Noah what he thinks?"

"Brian, that little boy worships the ground you walk on. And honestly he's always thought of you as his dad, just without the title," Olivia replied, hearing her voice crack, her emotions still raw.

"Well then I guess we're gonna have to teach him how to say Da-da."

"Not until he learns how to say Ma-ma." Olivia laughed, her eyes sparkling.

"We'll see about that," Brian chuckled.

Then he did what he had been waiting to do since he bumped into her two months ago—he shared a kiss with his girlfriend. Leaning forward he planted a soft sensual kiss on her lips. A kiss that she happily reciprocated. While he ran his fingers through her silky hair, he breathed in her scent, a mixture of her strawberry shampoo and the salty ocean air.

Reluctantly they pulled apart after a few minutes, realizing the car was not the best place to get reacquainted, especially with a sleeping baby in the back seat and also that they still had a long car ride home ahead of them. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to make up for lost time in the days and weeks to come.

As Brian pulled out of the parking spot to head for home he heard Olivia ask in a soft voice, "So is the trip with your dad when you were five still your best LBI memory?"

He glanced sideways at her, giving her a genuine smile before replying. "I'd say it's a toss-up."

The hour long trip back into the city passed with very little conversation, each of them caught up in their own memories from the day and excitement for the future. Every time Olivia would sneak a peek at Brian he was wearing the same goofy grin that she was sure was displayed all over her face. This may not have been the way she had originally envisioned spending her Fourth of July but there was not a single thing about this day that she would change if she could.

When they arrived back at Olivia's apartment Noah was surprisingly still sound asleep. Even more surprisingly he didn't stir at all during the transfer from the car to his mother's arms or on the noisy elevator ride up to their apartment.

Once inside the apartment Olivia motioned for Brian to wait in the living room while she put Noah in his crib. With as little disturbance as possible she removed Noah's jacket, swim shorts, and sandals and changed his diaper before laying him down in the crib. He opened his eyes briefly when his small body hit the mattress but didn't make a sound and closed them again almost immediately, the day at the beach evidently sufficiently wearing him out. Olivia placed a quick kiss on Noah's cheek and made sure his monkey was where he could find it if he woke up in the middle of the night, before hurriedly changing out of her beach attire.

Brian stood from his spot on the couch when he heard Olivia close the bedroom door and start making her way down the hallway. When she came into sight, dressed in a short silky black negligee, he let out a low whistle, causing Olivia's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink. Olivia hurried to close the gap between them, stopping right next to Brian, their bodies touching ever so slightly.

"You know, I was thinking, it's been a really long day. Why don't you stay the night?" Olivia purred as she casually linked her finger with Brian's finger and gave it a slight tug.

"I thought you'd never ask," Brian growled in her ear.

Together they made their way to the room that was once again their bedroom. The reunion sex would have to wait until later since Noah still shared a room with Olivia and they were both exhausted anyway. But for tonight, Brian and Olivia were content to just fall asleep wrapped in each others' arms. And they stayed that way until the first morning light peeked through the curtains and they were woken by Noah's soft cries.


End file.
